Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) is apologizing to “anyone in the Muslim community” offended by comments she made about Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)
In a tweet Friday afternoon, Boebert wrote, “I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar.”
“I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction,” she added.
I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar. I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction.
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) November 26, 2021
A video surfaced of Boebert sharing an allegedly made up story about an elevator ride she had in the Capitol with Omar.
“I was getting into an elevator with one of my staffers,” Boebert began as she claimed she saw a Capitol police officer “running hurriedly to the elevator” with “fret all over his face.”
She continued, “I look to my left, and there she is — Ilhan Omar. And I said, ‘Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine.’ So we only had one floor to go… I looked over and I said, ‘Oh look, the jihad squad decided to show up for work today.’”
Listen to the comments below:
Over the Thanksgiving break, Lauren Boebert said she was recently in a Capitol elevator with Ilhan Omar when a fretful Capitol police officer ran up.
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) November 25, 2021
Lauren Boebert said: “Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine.”
Boebert then called Ilhan Omar, “jihad squad.” pic.twitter.com/Y7f0nFbnud
Omar reacted to the story about the alleged encounter, tweeting, “Fact, this buffoon looks down when she sees me at the Capitol, this whole story is made up. Sad she thinks bigotry gets her clout.”
“Anti-Muslim bigotry isn’t funny [and] shouldn’t be normalized. Congress can’t be a place where hateful and dangerous Muslims tropes get no condemnation,” she added.
Fact, this buffoon looks down when she sees me at the Capitol, this whole story is made up. Sad she thinks bigotry gets her clout.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) November 26, 2021
Anti-Muslim bigotry isn’t funny & shouldn’t be normalized. Congress can’t be a place where hateful and dangerous Muslims tropes get no condemnation. https://t.co/S1APT7RbqW
Omar later tweeted, “Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter. [House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)] and [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)] need to take appropriate action, normalizing this bigotry not only endangers my life but the lives of all Muslims. Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in Congress.”